Salisbury et al. (2011) write “Prenatal serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) exposure has been related to adverse newborn neurobehavioral outcomes; however, these effects have not been compared to those that may arise from prenatal exposure to maternal major depressive disorder (MDD) without SRI treatment. This study examined potential effects of MDD with and without SRI treatment on newborn neurobehavior.” For clarity, “SRI” is equivalent to “SSR” for our purposes.

“This was a prospective, naturalistic study”, and results showed that “Full-term infants exposed to MDD + SRIs had a lower [gestational age] than [control subjects] or MDD-exposed infants and, controlling for GA, had lower quality of movement and more central nervous system stress signs. In contrast, MDD-exposed infants had the highest quality of movement scores while having lower attention scores than CON and MDD + SRI-exposed infants.”

This means that maternal SSRI use, not maternal depression, was correlated with lower gestational age.

Since so many women around the world have used SSRIs during pregnancy unaware of these and other serious risks, thousands of SSRI birth defect lawsuits are currently being filed.

If you or a loved one used SSRIs while pregnancy and gave birth to a child with a birth defect or who suffered perinatal complications, your family may be entitled to significant financial compensation. For a free, no-obligation case consultation, contact our team of SSRI birth defect lawyers at the information provided below. We have the compassion, experience, and researchers required to win the justice you deserve. Call today and see how we can help.

About this Blog

This blog chronicles legal and scientific news relating to personal injuries caused by defective drugs and medical devices. It is published by injury lawyer Justinian C. Lane, an attorney who takes a personal interest in each of his clients’ cases.